Node destruction
Nodes can be destroyed starting at Village (stage 3) following a successful siege against that node.[1]
- It is a normal process of the world to see PvP be a catalyst for change. That is one of the defining elements of our world building approach and being a PvX game is that PvE builds the world and PvP changes the world; and as these nodes get destructed this should be a normal habit that players are accustomed to seeing that landscape changing over time, because it is the breath of renewal that then is allowed as a result of that action.[2] – Steven Sharif
- Players lose their node citizenship after their node is destroyed without entering into a cooldown period.[2][3][1]
- Node destruction may prevent some quests from being completed.[4]
- After a node is destroyed, the footprint of the node will enter a ruined state and will become an open PvP zone for a number of days equal to the node's level. These ruins consist of a debris field of treasures that are lootable by certain players.[5][6][7][8][9][10]
- Which players get to loot the debris field during this period is currently under discussion by the developers.[11] Previously it was stated that any player could loot the debris field.[6] Before that it was stated that only attackers who participated in the siege will have exclusive looting rights.[12]
- Any loot remaining after this period will be open for anyone to loot.[12]
- After a number of days equal to the destroyed node's level, the node will revert back to stage 0 (wilderness) and any modified terrain will revert back to its original state.[6][13][14]
- Those are like open-world battlegrounds that spawn on the footprint of the node after a successful siege. And these are opportunities that previous defenders have to salvage certain materials and/or equipment from the destroyed node, or that attackers have to do the same. And there's interact points that live within that environment that take time in order to interact with, which makes those individuals susceptible to potential ganking or fighting. And you can control those areas; and that exists for some period of time. It's like an open-world arena system.[5] – Steven Sharif
- Treasures in the debris field will take time and tools to uncover.[5][6]
- The warehouse debris will contain a portion of all Materials (crafting components) and Gatherables that were stored in the destroyed node.[6][7][8][9][10]
- The reliquary debris will contain a stockpile of shards of the relics that were stored there.[15][6][7][16][17]
- The town hall debris might contain tax-oriented certificates that were held within the vaults and in the treasury.[7]
- The stables debris might contain mount certificates that can be added to caravans in the future or sold on the auction house.[7]
- Gatherables and crafting materials that were stored in in-node housing and apartment storage chests become lootable. These are not lootable if the node survives the siege- even if the housing buildings are destroyed or damaged during the siege.[8]
Node building destruction
Node buildings (including player housing) have hit points and can be damaged or destroyed by different systems.[20][8]
- NPC-driven events that are a response to story arcs or node atrophy.[20]
- Node sieges and node wars.[20]
- Attackers may not be capable of destroying a node during a siege. Instead they may carry out precision attacks to disable specific service-oriented buildings within the node. These buildings can be targeted with siege weapons and bombs.[19]
- Hazardous events such as tornadoes or hurricanes.[21][20]
- Mayors have the ability to demolish constructed node buildings. This will have a node mandate cost and will require player buy-in via a vote.[22][23]
- Mayors will also have the ability, if they want, to demolish constructed buildings. So if they if they so choose they can destroy a building if they don't think it's needed anymore. But this will have mandate cost and a player buy-in votes. So we want to make sure that [the] mayor can't just go and blow up the whole node if they're trying to grief or something. So this is very important and impactful decision.[22][23] – John Collins
If building maintenance is not paid, or a building is damaged as the result of an event or siege, the building will enter a state of disarray.[22][23] Any NPCs or services offered by that building will not be available until the building is repaired.[24][8]
- Players must contribute materials to repair disarrayed buildings and restore them to an operational state.[22][23][20][8][25]
If a node siege is successful, or if buildings otherwise take significant damage, they are destroyed and appear as rubble on the plot they occupied.[22][23][20]
- Node leadership must clear any rubble on plots before any buildings can be reconstructed. Any prerequisites for the building reconstruction must be satisfied beforehand.[20]
- Buildings also live within a prerequisite system. So in order to build down the tech tree of what these buildings provide, as the node grows larger to access stronger building types, you may get a kink in that chain if it's destroyed and you'll have to stand that back up in order to support the service again.[20] – Steven Sharif
- If the node is destroyed by a node siege, the debris field will contain spoils that are lootable by attackers or defenders.[5][6][7][8][9][10]
- Player housing that is destroyed during a node siege can no longer be sold.[26] Furnishing and decorations are retained and can be placed again later.[26][27][28]
Impact on player housing
Player housing designs and decorations are retained and can be placed again later if the housing is destroyed during a node siege.[29][27][28]
- Blueprints for homestead, business, and artisan freehold buildings, including progression and upgrades, are returned to the player.[29][1][27][28]
- A possible design idea is for items such as furnishings to be boxed in crates that are accessible inside the new home.[30]
Impact on in-node housing
Following a node siege, static housing will be scaled back or destroyed based on the advancement of the node.[27]
- If the housing was purchased at a higher advancement than the node currently is then it will be destroyed, otherwise the housing will be scaled back.
Impact on apartments
Apartments may be destroyed in the following circumstances:[27]
- If their building was destroyed during a node siege, even if the siege was not successful.[25][27]
- If the mayor decides to destroy apartment buildings all items and layouts will be mailed to the owner.[31]
- If a mayor built extra apartment buildings at Town (stage 4) or higher and the Node deleveled below that stage.[27]
Impact on freeholds
Freeholds may be attacked by any player for a period of two hours following a successful siege against its parent node.[32][33][1][34] Freeholds can also be lost by foreclosure for not paying property taxes or other fees.[29]
- Players and their allies may defend their freehold for this period of time.[34]
- Structures and guards may be obtained to defend freeholds during this period.[34]
- When it comes to losing Freeholds like this, one person’s loss is another person’s gain. While there aren’t enough Freeholds in the world for everyone to have one at the same time, this cycle of players losing Freeholds creates opportunities for other players to acquire one.[29]
After the two hour period of open combat following a successful node siege, any remaining freeholds will exist under a grace period for roughly 1 week where another node may take over the zone of influence of the freehold.[33][1]
- The freehold owner will be required to undertake a quest process to have their freehold adopted by a new node if one exists.[33]
- At the end of the grace period, if the freehold does not reside within the ZOI of a Village (stage 3) node or above, it will be destroyed.[29][1][33][35]
- If a siege is successful, then the Node is brought down to Level 0, and anyone who was a citizen of that Node is no longer a citizen. Freeholds within the Zone of Influence are subject to a period of vulnerability. These Freeholds can be destroyed by other players during a period of roughly 2 hours after a successful siege. Destroyed Freeholds are subject to material loss, and blueprints for them are mailed to the player to utilize for future placement in order to allow the player to keep their Freehold’s layout and structure. Once the vulnerability period is complete, any remaining Freeholds will exist under a grace period for roughly 1 week where another Node may take over the Zone of Influence of the Freehold.[1] – Margaret Krohn
- Q: How many times a year do you suspect that most players will be moving residence based on nodes being eliminated from sieges?
- A: There are a lot of variables that influence that answer. I'm not sure I can give an average, but what I would say is that depending on the political dynamic of a server: if a server tends to have more combat and/or sieges against nodes, that is going to increase the amount of opportunity for freeholds to be removed from the world and then replaced. I'm not sure I have an average. what I will say is that it is very important to remember that Ashes is not a PvP game and it is not a PvE game. It is a PvX game and that has a very specific meaning. It means that as these systems are developed as they are designed and they are integrated with each other: they are done so from a competitive viewpoint and how that system relates to both PvE and PvP. Freeholds are one of those systems very much so and it's because of the cyclical nature that we're attempting to achieve with the development of nodes and the destruction of nodes, the world is a rapidly and dynamically changing place really. So it's intended to be something that is constantly recycling and is leaking out different types of content and new content that revitalizes the player interest and stimulates new points of conflict or cooperation.[36] – Steven Sharif
Node redevelopment
A node that was successfully destroyed by a node siege may develop differently due to the following influences:[37][38]
- Different races becoming primary contributors.[37][38]
- Design elements determined by different governments.[37][38]
- Reactions and interactions with other nodes in the world.[37][38]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Blog - Know Your Nodes - Advance and Destroy.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Livestream, August 31, 2023 (20:54).
- ↑ Interview, July 29, 2020 (17:26).
- ↑ Livestream, February 29, 2024 (53:58).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Interview, July 9, 2023 (1:36:24).
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Livestream, October 14, 2022 (52:31).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Podcast, September 29, 2021 (14:21).
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Interview, July 8, 2020 (57:46).
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Livestream, April 30, 2020 (1:14:44).
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Livestream, July 28, 2023 (1:26:16).
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Podcast, September 29, 2021 (15:46).
- ↑ Livestream, June 26, 2020 (1:48:43).
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ Podcast, September 29, 2021 (10:49).
- ↑ Interview, July 18, 2020 (56:11).
- ↑ Livestream, October 31, 2019 (36:20).
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Livestream, November 22, 2019 (16:56).
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.7 Livestream, March 31, 2022 (1:13:00).
- ↑ Forums - Livestream Q&A 2022-08-26.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 Blog: Development Update with Village Node.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 Livestream, August 31, 2023 (57:23).
- ↑ Interview, July 9, 2023 (1:32:45).
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Livestream, November 22, 2019 (17:59).
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Livestream, June 26, 2020 (1:02:12).
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 27.5 27.6 Livestream, July 18, 2017 (40:14).
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 Livestream, November 17, 2017 (47:10).
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 29.5 Blog: Exploring the Boundless Opportunities of Freeholds.
- ↑ Livestream, June 26, 2020 (1:00:57).
- ↑ Livestream, March 26, 2021 (59:21).
- ↑ Livestream, November 19, 2021 (54:26).
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 Livestream, August 28, 2020 (2:04:00).
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 Livestream, May 19, 2017 (28:04).
- ↑ Livestream, May 19, 2017 (29:34).
- ↑ Livestream, June 30, 2023 (1:39:22).
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 Livestream, October 30, 2020 (39:17).
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 38.3 Livestream, May 24, 2017 (52:39).